


The Hand We're Dealt

by InternetSydney



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Business Trip, Businessman Erwin Smith, Croupier Levi, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Fantasizing, Flashbacks, M/M, Masturbation, Masturbation in Shower, Memory Loss, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexual Fantasy, casino - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 18:57:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14063370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InternetSydney/pseuds/InternetSydney
Summary: Levi looked up into his eyes, searching intently for something. Erwin looked right back, but his search was aimless, a fruitless quest for answers where he knew there were none.In which Erwin is an ethically ambiguous businessman and he has this strange recognition of a man called Levi, a croupier at a famous casino.





	1. Ante

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ante: A small portion of a bet contributed by each player to seed the pot at the beginning of a poker hand. Most hold'em games do not have an ante; they use "blinds" to get initial money into the pot.

He'd always liked the sound of chips clinking onto the table.

The hollow, empty echo of a plastic disk that spoke more of the short-lived lives of its users than it ever could of its own value. Hearing that clink was one of the most pleasant things he'd ever experienced.

The man reached down to pick up the poker chip, running his small hands across the face before pinching it and tossing it into the air. His arm moved with inhuman speed, reaching up to catch the chip before it could return to its location on the soft, green counter top.

"Levi," a voice echoed down the hall, "It's time to go."

"Coming," came his reply, coarse and laced with disinterest. He quickly opened the drawer in front of him, sliding that final chip into its proper place before locking the drawer and tugging gently on the handle to ensure it was secure. His shoes tapped against the floor as he walked; he could almost mistake his tired, heavy steps for those of the average customer at this establishment: a man with a fat wallet and an even fatter midsection. He smirked at the image in his mind, gently jingling the keys in his pocket as he continued to press forward. No, he'd never be like the patrons in this godforsaken casino. Hell, he could hardly handle a table full of those pocket stuffing bastards without his arm positively aching to take them out with one fluid swig.

"Levi!" the voice rang again, however this time it was more urgent, more impatient.

He took one look back at the grand room, its pristine tables, tall chandlers, and chrome slots offering a taste of the luxury that all of the casino's visitors were yearning for. They knew very little of how insurmountable acquiring that wealth truly was.

"Shit, I said I was coming," his reply was an empty reflex, devoid of emotion. Levi's hair whirled in the air as he spun on his heels, light twinkling off of the strands just as it twinkled off of the light fixtures. The door clicked shut, and all was still again.

\-----

After Levi entered the service elevator, he sighed, leaned his head back, and peered out the grated ceiling. He knew that he'd never see anything behind it, but the view up into the dark unknown was highly preferable to the questionable marks and stains that littered the rest of the seldom-cleaned lift.

A woman beside him took out a cigarette and lit it, and Levi's gray eyes followed the thin line of smoke that swirled up and out of the vent. He was comforted by the relative silence; his peaceful ride accompanied only by the sounds of clanking machinery and the occasional cough.

"How're you?" the housekeeper asked conversationally, removing the cigarette from her lips to gently tap it against the wall of the lift. As she did, small, gray ashes fell to the floor and disappeared, scattering and dispersing amongst the other forgotten debris.

He merely grunted in response, hopeful that would end the interaction then and there. The woman obviously didn't take the hint, and coughed once more before continuing.

"How many big winners?" her voice was coarse and rough; she tossed her cigarette on the floor, stomping on the ember with the heel of her shoe. Levi's hand twitched, and he found himself fixated on the thought of that disgusting garbage on the floor. He quickly shook the thought from his mind.

"Tonight? Two big winners, by my standards, both from Farlan's table," his gaze shifted up to view the floor number. Even though he knew the panel had stopped functioning long before he'd started working here four years ago, Levi found himself glancing at it anyway, his mind wondering how many floors were left before he could get to his room to stop this bullshit conversation.

The woman chuckled lightly at the sneer on Levi's face, and he was finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the ash that was clearly collecting on the floor during their ascent.

"Good for them, I guess. Bad for Farlan." The door opened and, without another word, she exited the elevator.

"I can't stand the hotel workers. They're too damn chatty," Levi thought to himself, exiting at the next floor and turning down the hallway, maneuvering himself back to his room without even a second thought.

He removed his cravat and place it on his desk, then neatly hung the rest of his uniform clothes over the back of the desk chair. Normally he'd take a shower and straighten out his room before bed, but tonight had been a long night, and Levi found himself too mentally exhausted to even consider physical activity. Instead, he striped down to his boxers and collapsed onto the bed, closing his eyes and taking a moment to lay there and just breathe. Before he could shift to pull himself under a blanket, he was asleep.

Levi was a dealer in the Rose Room of one of the most famous locations in the country: Kyojin Casino. It was a destination for pleasure-seekers and gamblers, however most of the casino's clientele were there for business, not pleasure. The right side of the building was connected to an upscale motel, and it offered a wide variety of restaurants, shows, and games. The Rose Room was the busiest section of the casino, and Levi had the unfortunate occupation of dealing to, and dealing with, those arrogant assholes. He never said or did anything particularly intriguing, but he had been requested for private games more times than he could count, and there was often a line of men in tight suits and loose ties waiting to be at his table, despite the fact there were many empty games surrounding him. The reason was unclear to most, but Levi wasn't about to complain. Those men almost never played sober, and more often than not the winners of a game would offer him a chip or two thank him for his hard work. There were many other offers on the table as well; many less public "opportunities" that he was not inclined to accept. It had been a while since he'd reciprocated to those silent signals: a hand brushing across his wrist as he placed cards on the counter, a sneaky foot working it's way across to rub down his ankle, and those fearsome, drunken eyes locking with his from across the table…

Levi jumped up, his body coated in a sheen of cold sweat. His head snapped to the digital clock on his end table.

2:54

Damn, what the hell had happened to him? He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ignore the pulsing sensation in the front of his skull. He'd just been dreaming... Dreaming about something. Each time he tried to recall bits, fragments, anything, the pushing against his forehead increased.

He wasn't going to get anywhere if this pain persisted. Stumbling into his bathroom, he opened a drawer to discover he was out of ibuprofen. Shit. Levi staggered to the hook on the back of the bathroom door, grabbing a robe with the casino's insignia on the breast. He slipped into the plush robe and began to head downstairs, instinctively pushing his hands against his temples to stop the pressure. He teetered into the guest elevator, knowing that the service elevator would be too much, with its stains and constant metal chatter. Damn it, damn it, damn it! His stomach was queasy, and he had to take a step forward and spread his legs apart to maintain his balance in the lift. It gently sputtered to a stop on one of the guest floors, but Levi was so off kilter, and the pulsing was so distracting, that his hand shot out to grab the wall in a vain attempt to stay upright.

"Excuse me," a low voice rumbled behind him. As soon as his hand had left his head to reach the wall, the pain had gotten much worse, so Levi retracted his hand and immediately pushed it against the side of his head once more. The voice had startled him and he staggered backwards, accidentally knocking against the buttons on the panel by the door.

"Excuse me?" the voice pestered again. Without thinking, without feeling, Levi removed his hand from his temple, thrusting it out in a wild punch that he was sure would knock even a sober man over. Instead, a large, firm hand seized his wrist, and Levi was pushed back against the side of the elevator. He trained his eyes on the ground, his bangs drooping in front of his head. He just needed to focus, he just needed to stop the spinning. Before he even had the chance to consider retaliating, the stranger's other hand gripped his chin roughly and tilted his head up.

"Excuse me, sir. What's wrong?" the man's tone was commanding, but it wasn't cold. Levi noticed that piercing blue eyes were locked with his, and the vibrant color almost made him sick. His face was rapidly losing color, and the titan of a stranger let go of his chin and wrist. The man then grabbed Levi's shoulders in an effort to help him stay upright.

"Sir. What's your room number? Do you need a doctor?" Levi couldn't talk. His body may have been sweaty and cold but his mouth was dry and hot. He felt as though speaking would make him fold over and retch. He strained his eyes skyward, towards that icy blue gaze, and as he took a breath to speak, everything went black.


	2. Big Blind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big Blind: The larger of the two blinds typically used in a hold'em game. The big blind is normally a full first round bet.

He'd always liked the sound of coins clanking in his pocket.

It wasn't as though he was obsessed with money. As a matter of fact, the last thing on Erwin's mind was his personal wealth. His job was to expand his company's profit, not to expand his own. He might have used some methods frowned upon by the general public, but his moral compass was perfectly aligned. It was that morality, drive, and focus that made him so exemplary in his position.

Erwin used that focus to take a deep breath in, straighten his back in his chair and clank those coins in his pocket once more. He needed to ensure that everyone in the conference room could hear them; it was a subconscious intimidation tactic, and it was working.

He leaned forward on his elbows, looking each of his coworkers in the eyes as he spoke in a clear and calm timbre. "I'm telling you, sales are down this quarter because of failures in the advertising department, not because of a fault in the product itself," after gauging their reactions, he decided to stand, strolling over to a chart at the head of the table, "If we continue to innovate our product with each quarter, our consumers and our employees aren't going to be able to keep up with us. Our customers will lose interest." Erwin made a calculated pause, flipping the chart over to reveal the location of his company's most recent sales. "Now, if we expend some money on television marketing here," he placed his finger on the map, eyes again scanning the room, "then expand our current online advertising, we'll be able to almost double our sales in this region, and it would also give a small boost to our profit in the surrounding regions."

With one final flick of his wrist, he turned the chart back, nodding politely to the men in the room. Erwin took a minute to look at each of them individually. They were all stern, all in suits, all in ties. He knew each of their names and personalities, their likes and dislikes, but at times like this the men might as well be one entity, "the board," split into many bodies.

His mind continued to calculate their reactions, and after only a moment he concluded that it would be best to let the meeting end for tonight so the board could sleep on his proposal. He was confident they would agree with his tactics. They always did.

With that final, reassuring thought, Erwin walked out of the conference room with confidence, his broad shoulders back and his head held high.

\-----

Erwin read the room number on his room key twice before removing the plastic card from its sleeve, sliding it slowly into the door of his room. As the small LED light flashed a bright green, the door made a distinct click, and Erwin pushed the door open quickly. He stepped into the room, letting the door close itself behind him as he took a deep breath in, finally relaxing his practiced composure.

He spent all day writing theorems, impressing others, and calculating every move his competitors and coworkers would or could make. He never allowed himself to relax. These "company retreats" had always been his favorite, because all of the company's employees were allotted free time solely for the purpose of relaxation. People enjoyed their time off much more when it was on the company's dollar. Erwin almost always spent this precious extra time studying or checking stocks, however knowing he could be using that time for personal entertainment was something that kept him going throughout the day.

However, Erwin had just finished discussing his strategic advertising plan with the board, and therefore there was no work he could do until they approved his request. Comforted by that knowledge, Erwin decided to take some time to enjoy himself. They were at the Kyojin Casino, after all.

Erwin released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding before he stepped farther into the room, running his hands through his gel-combed hair until it fell to its natural part on his head. He was often pestered and questioned about his haircut, but there wasn't much of a reason behind it, aside from the fact that it was comfortable and exceptionally easy to maintain. The businessman took off his suit jacket and tossed it on his bed, grabbing his wallet and slipping the room key inside as he pinched the bridge of his nose and glanced at his watch. It was a frightfully late hour, almost 3:00 AM. Perhaps now wasn't the best time for a drink... Ignoring that intrusive thought, he slid his wallet into his back pocket and pasted his practiced, calm expression across his face before exiting the room, heading toward the elevator.

\-----

After running through all of the contingency plans he'd ever created and replaying every single scenario he'd ever thought through, Erwin concluded that he had never needed to calculate a situation even relatively close to this.

He was seated on a chair in the corner of his hotel room, staring at the bed. A paradoxically lithe and strong body was laying under the covers- completely unconscious. He had just entered the elevator when he found this man shaking with his hands pressed against his temples. He tried to ask what was wrong, but the stranger just threw a punch and then collapsed in his arms. The man must have been exhausted, because he had remained unconscious even as Erwin carried him back to his room and laid him on the bed.

Erwin leaned forward in the chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. What was he supposed to do? Was there a social etiquette or norm that should be dictating his actions in this circumstance?

Reasoning that almost all of his options were immensely faulty, Erwin decided to let the man rest until they could discuss what to do when he was awake and conscious. He quickly stood, walking into his bathroom and opening the drawer. Erwin removed a washcloth and ran it under the sink, his muscular hands rubbing against the surface with such force that the towel was wringing out even as he tried to fill it with water.

As his hands worked diligently, his mind drifted back to the man on his bed. It was during moments like this that his predilection towards men was more that a minor inconvenience. He felt guilty for his thoughts, but as he carried an unconscious stranger to his bed he couldn't keep but think of the man's dark hair and compact body, his jugular and creamy skin…

Erwin violently twisted the washcloth over the sink to wring it out, splashing a bit of cold water onto his face before returning to the man on his bed. He placed the cloth on the stranger's forehead, hoping that whatever injury or illness he'd sustained wasn't worsening as they waited.

\-----

Levi flung his eyes open, sitting upright. When had he laid down..?

He peered around the room to assess his surroundings. Each of the chairs was a deep red and had gold spirals etched down the front in a fractal pattern. Though he recognized the signature furniture from the casino and hotel, he had no idea where he was. The bed here was very soft, and he noticed that there was something soft and wet in his lap. He picked it up, and realized it was a washcloth. Why was a wet towel on this bed..?

Before he could inspect the rest of the room, he recognized a voice.

"Are you alright?" Levi snapped his head from side to side, trying to locate the source of the question.

"What's your name?" A tall man donning a custom-tailored suit appeared beside him, and he was immediately taken by the sheer size of this man. The man raised both of his hands and spoke again, this time directly at him, "Ah, you must be disoriented. I apologize. You fainted in the elevator earlier. Are you ill? Should we contact a medical professional?"

Levi shook his head gently to try and clear out his confusion, but his only response was a gruff "Levi.” His eyes were cloudy and unfocused, so he quickly added, "I'm fine."

He looked up at the stranger and was struck full-force by how large and conventionally handsome he was. Strong biceps that he could see rippling as they pinned him down to the bed… _Damn it_ not that now, idiot!

"What happened?" Levi questioned, again searching the room for a clue, or a memory of this place, "Where are we?"

The stranger grabbed Levi's chin lightly and looked into his eyes for a moment, and looking into that icy gaze reminded him of passing out in the elevator, and of waking up so late last night.

"I'm Erwin, and I carried you to my suite because you fainted. I quickly checked you for external injuries but you seemed fine.” The stranger—Erwin, or so he says—very gently turned Levi’s head from side to side, examining him, “Your eyes are little bloodshot, are you hungover?"

Levi just stared forward, mesmerized by that gaze. He thought about pushing him away, but he allowed his chin to be held. There was something comforting and familiar in the touch of this man. He wanted to figure out Erwin's motive for bringing him here; he yearned to read those clear, empty eyes, and to uncover the secrets chained below the surface.

"What are you looking a—," Erwin was interrupted by a loud, heavy, and frantic knock on his hotel room door.


	3. Full House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full House: A poker hand with three of a kind and a pair, beating a flush and losing to four of a kind.

As someone continued to knock on his hotel room door, Erwin's thoughts began swimming in all of the probabilities and outcomes encased in this situation.

It was the stranger, Levi, that had to break their trance. The small man stood quickly, snapping his head from side to side before darting to the opposite corner of the room. Erwin could only stare, awestruck as the sleek man opened a suitcase on the floor by the television. After noticing that it was empty, Levi quickly mouthed the words, "Take care of this situation," before ducking inside the luggage and closing the top.

Erwin shook his head in total and complete bewilderment. Wait, why was Levi hiding? Neither of them had done anything wrong. There was no reason to be shady about their relationship, if that's what one could call their brief interactions. However, as an ethically ambiguous corporate, he concluded that he had no right to judge the reaction. Then, what had prompted the small man to move in the first place? As a loud, wooden echo resounded through the room, Erwin remembered. The knock.

He walked up to the door, glancing through the peephole before identifying the source of the knock as a man from his company, just slightly below his rank but from a different department. They'd been hired within days of each other, so this was likely no more than a pleasant greeting. Erwin opted to be hesitant, just in case. He opened the door to his suite, taking a step back to gracefully swing his arm to the side in an inviting gesture.

"Good evening," the newcomer stated in a firm, friendly tone, before chucking in a lighthearted manner and gesturing with his chin towards clock on the bedside table, "Or should I say, good morning."

His old friend stood still, scrutinizing Erwin and even scrunching his nose up as though sniffing him.

"Mike!" Erwin smiled and leaned in closer to pat his friend on the shoulder, "It's been a long time. May I offer you a drink?"

Mike opted not to respond to the question, and instead gently closed his door. Once they were both inside and the door secured, the man's demeanor instantaneously changed as he looked around the room quickly.

"I’m not here to frighten you, really I’m not,” he took a deep breath, rubbing his finger and thumb through the bit of stubble on the tip of his chin. “I’ve been hearing things about someone transferring to your department. This is just a rumor, of course…”

Erwin nodded and interrupted before Mike could continue. “Rumor or not, if you think it’s important enough to discuss at this ungodly hour, I’d rather you just cut to the chase of your suspicions.”

His friend nodded, and Erwin recognized that flat look in his eyes.

No. It couldn’t be.

“So, there’s supposedly going to be this transfer to your department soon. A strange man, kinda fat. Who gives a damn; he smelled like alcohol, cigars, and ink," Mike caught himself on the tangent and reigned in his thoughts.

Erwin was caught aback mentally, trying to figure out what Mike was talking about. Mike saw the puzzled look on Erwin's face and sighed before continuing, "Listen, Erwin, you didn't hear this from me. I was just at a late-night meeting with some of the men from HR. They were told by one of the big shots, CEO, COO, or something, that there's a man applying for a job and they must accept his application. Not too many details, but evidently they mentioned you by name. This guy’s got a lot of pull.”

Erwin nodded and attempted to take all this information in strides. His mind racked as he tried to think of an explanation for the sudden appearance of such a powerful-sounding man, and in his company no less. The businessman had many enemies; he knew that very well. However, he didn't know who could be responsible for something of this nature.

"Erwin, this guy is a messed up man with a shady past. One of your old contacts from the underground, I think. I don't know the specifics, but it's something about smuggling and the prostitution business. This guy smells like the underground and he's big enough to cause a fuss up here as well. You've gotta stay safe. He's after you, specifically."

Erwin was flabbergasted, and despite the fact he was trying his best to remain level headed internally, his calm outer demeanor didn't falter.

"Thank you, Mike. I'll do some research," he grabbed Mike's shoulder and gently guided him to the door, his grip hard enough to both lead his friend out of the room, stabilize himself, and give a gentle squeeze of gratitude. He was too exhausted to properly extract information from Mike. Erwin continued, "Write down what you heard exactly as you remember it. Do it soon while the memory is fresh in your mind. I'll come to chat and further asses the situation at a different time. For now, I need to… well, think."

Erwin gave a small chuckle at his inability to think up a good ending to the sentence, and Mike nodded solemnly. Suddenly, he scrunched up his nose and leaned in towards Erwin.

"I'll update you on this stranger when I can. Meanwhile, you update me on yours."

He left without another word, leaving Erwin alone to process the important information, as well as the less-significant offhand comment.

"Oy, Erwin," a low voice called out from behind him. Erwin was physically taken aback. He turned around quickly to face Levi, who had crawled out of the suitcase and now joined Erwin by the door. The small man appeared to be wearing nothing but a hotel robe, but he still managed to look intimidating.

Erwin cursed himself and his luck. This stranger had heard that entire conversation, and now he was a liability. Levi looked up into his eyes, searching intently for something. Erwin looked right back, but his search was aimless, a fruitless quest for answers where he knew there were none.

"What? Listen, I know you were eavesdropping on that conversation. All I can say is that I am not personally involved with the und--"

"You can fucking can it, asshole," Levi slapped the Titan of a man before him square on the shoulder. Erwin reached out to grab him reflexively, but Levi was already out and away from his grip.

It was in that moment that some part deep inside Erwin recognized Levi. Images flooded back to him.

 _He could see Levi, a tailored suit hanging delicately off of his frame as he shuffled cards effortlessly. Levi, tittering with a few recognizable men from the underground, radiating mystery in the dimly lit basement. Levi, heaving and pressed against his chest._ Erwin took a step forward, his hand reaching a familiar place behind the smaller man's head. He took a deep breath in, and his fingers ran through the soft shaven portion on the back of his neck.

"Levi, you're--"

"Why the fuck are you looking at me like you know things about me?" Levi sneered, slapping the hand away from his neck, "I've never met you, asshole."

The graceful man spun around on his heels, returning to his previous location on the bed. Erwin could do nothing more than stare, trying to separate the facts from the fiction in his sleep-deprived mind.

Levi's head slowly turned up, his eyes locking with Erwin's once more as he spoke, "Even if I had, I'd have a fucking excuse for not remembering, I've been dizzy as shit." Levi chuckled darkly at his own little joke, and for some reason that noise made Erwin’s heart hammer in his throat.

Erwin cocked one of his prominent eyebrows as his gaze followed Levi's pacing around the room. From Mike's information about a potential threat to the sudden suspicion that he must have met Levi before, Erwin was completely at a loss.

\-----

Erwin couldn't come up with any new information about either the HR scandal or his apparent connection to the strong stranger he had encountered in the elevator. By the time Levi had strolled out of his hotel room, it was early morning.

After wracking his brain beyond the point of usefulness, Erwin fell asleep at the small desk in his hotel room, his cheek pressed firmly against a stack of papers.

\-----

The second time, it was the bread that reminded him. Erwin had elected to enjoy some of Kyojin Casino's breakfast options, and as he sat at his small booth buttering a piece of toast a foreign yet familiar scene played out in his mind. Erwin nearly dropped the whole plate of butter when he saw Levi in his mind's eye, darting past him with a loaf of bread tucked under his arm.

"He was so graceful. Like a dark shadow, or an elegant blackbird," Erwin's intrusive thoughts reminded him as he turned his gaze towards the Rose Room’s VIP lounge.

While chewing thoughtfully, he saw that same black figure approach the VIP room. Erwin examined him carefully from a distance; Levi was looking much less sickly than he had earlier that morning. For some reason, he was thankful. Thankful for the health of a man he could only hazily recall.

Erwin needed to sort though this information about a man being assigned to his department, and a company wide scandal. Yet, as he watched that figure retreat before him, Erwin wanted nothing more than to unravel the enigma that was Levi.


	4. Table Stakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table Stakes: A rule in a poker game meaning that a player may not go into his pocket for money during a hand. He may only invest the amount of money in front of him into the current pot. If he runs out of chips during the hand, a side pot is created in which he has no interest. All casino poker is played table stakes. The definition sometimes also includes the rule that a player may not remove chips from the table during a game. While this rule might not be referred to as "table stakes," it is enforced almost universally in public poker games.

A loud, wet smack resounded through the humid bathroom as Levi rolled his head back against the shower wall. His hand skirted across his skin with a washcloth, and each time Levi's thoughts lingered over the events of the night, he found his hand lingering over his body. After he accidentally brushed his thumb against an agitated nipple, Levi realized that reigning in his desires would be a pointless effort.

He dropped his washcloth carelessly to the bottom of the shower, pushing his palm against his chest and slowly dragging it down. His eyes fluttered closed as he tried to pay attention to the sensation. Levi's other hand ran up to his hair, gripping his bangs and tugging them back harshly. He let out a low hiss, pushing his palm down against his cock without grasping. A breathy moan escaped his lips as his hips pushed forward against his hand.

When Levi touched himself, he liked to imagine it was someone else, a theoretical partner eager to get him off. In this particular instance, his mind conjured up an image of a man with light coloring, a body harsh with angles but gentle in its movements. All Levi wanted was a nice, hard stroke, to pump himself until he came, but denied himself the satisfaction for the time being. He ground down against his hand, one of his nails pressing lightly against the tip of his cock.

Fuck, _fuck_.

He needed to stop this useless rutting. Levi closed his eyes and saw a blonde on his knees. He was held against the shower wall, a strong and familiar hand pressing into his hip. Blue eyes roamed their way up Levi's body and to his eyes; the dream man leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of Levi's cock.

He felt a chill run down his spine and settle inside stomach. Finally, he gave in. As the man sucked, eager and willing, Levi frantically matched the movements in his mind with the movements of his hand.

He tugged his own hair as he came, grunting low in his throat.

Levi took a deep breath in as his hands fell weakly to his side. He allowed a steady stream of hot water to cascade over his shoulders, erasing the evidence and giving him space to organize his thoughts.

That stranger from earlier in the day, Erwin, had not only rescued him from some supposed sickness, but was apparently connected to the underground. Levi ran a hand through his hair again, but this time because of exasperation, not pleasure. He gripped it tightly for a moment before releasing with a sigh.

How could a man like that possibly be involved in the dealings of the underground? The underground, the place of cutting corners and backhanded deals, the place of Levi's youth?

"Well, that's not entirely true," Levi thought as he grabbed the washcloth off the floor, "Geographically, he's nowhere near where I grew up."

But the underground isn't a concrete place, it's a name. The underground lives in weapon exchanges, in whore houses and gang turf, in illegal child labor and motels that reek of weed. It thrives in casino basements with lax rules and more than just money on the table. The places that skirt just under the gentle caress of respectable society, where the real work is done: that's the underground.

"Home sweet home," Levi spat out in a low grumble, twisting the handle on his shower. He unceremoniously pushed the curtain to the side, walking over to the mirror and pushing a stray strand of hair back to its proper place. After stretching his arms above his head, Levi met his own gaze in the mirror, examining himself. He certainly looked less pale than he had that morning, but anyone that came across his unnatural ivory skin and sunken eyes would probably still think he was ill.

Using a towel to dry off his hair, Levi walked back into the room with his gaze fixated on the ground. He almost didn't notice the light flickering on his bedside table. However, he saw the blinking in his periphery and knew what it was before even approaching. After pressing a few buttons on his telephone, Levi sat on the edge of his bed, still toweling off his body.

"One new message and zero old messages. New message received at 8:57 AM," the artificial woman stated.

The recording's bright and cheery tone contrasted sharply with the message that followed. A low, garbled voice almost indecipherably groaned, "You're on for today. Two to close. You know the drill."

"Shit," Levi let out an agitated moan and rose to his feet, tossing his towel into the hamper pressed against the wall. His thoughts were all over the place, and he didn't have the time or energy to deal with that shift today.

After dressing in his uniform, Levi slipped his key in his pocket and strode over to the service elevator, adjusting his cravat and tucking the edges into his vest while he waited. He didn't need to be on the VIP shift tonight. Levi _needed_ to figure out why he'd gotten inexplicably sick yesterday; he _needed_ to figure out why this Erwin character helped him out, why he looked deep into his eyes as though there were stars etched into the irises.

Levi remembered the feel of that icy blue gaze and had to stop outside the elevator to let a shudder wrack through his body. He couldn't determine if he was ill or aroused.

As he continued to the VIP room, Levi took a few deep breaths to center himself. Working with customers in there was extremely taxing, both emotionally and physically. His eyes scanned the casino and the diner, almost immediately locating Erwin, who was sitting eating French bread. Something about that scene struck him as familiar, but the explanation drifted just in front of Levi's mind, out of reach.

It couldn't be that important.

After he snuck a few more glances at Erwin for no reason in particular, Levi suddenly realized that the dream man he'd fantasized about was no dream at all. He quickly snapped his gaze away, avoiding eye contact at all costs as his face quickly flushed; he quickly slipped behind the door to the lounge.

Damn it.

That morning, when Levi was indulging himself before work, the man on his knees had looked inexplicably like Erwin. It could have been a coincidental resemblance, or perhaps it was vague enough that it could have been another man... Oh who the hell was he kidding, he was fantasizing about this particular businessman sucking him off in the shower.

Levi's foot swung out wildly, his toe knocking against the side of a sleek, metal garbage can in the dim light. The can tipped over with a loud clatter, and there was a momentary silence in the lounge. However, the idle chatter soon continued.

Why Erwin, of all people? He didn't even know the bastard. The last thing Levi wanted in bed was a stranger, especially a loaded corporate pig!

He took a few deep breaths in a vain attempt to center himself. Levi's thumb ran soothingly across his wrist as he walked behind a card table, waiting until the current round was complete to tap the shoulder of the dealer currently working.

"Thank god," they grumbled, leaving the table and allowing Levi to take their place.

As expected of the crass, disgusting animals that came to the VIP room, there was a small whistle as Levi shuffled the cards, and many comments on his looks and his stature. Some were rude, others lewd. He forced himself to keep his emotions in check and his face calm and collected.

The VIP lounge wasn't for the type of people that its name suggested. It was a hangout for the higher ups in the underground, and that was the only reason Levi was hired to work in the casino in the first place. This was the place where illegal deals were made, and where the supposedly civil side of underground "business" took place.

A man that Levi recognized as a military weapons dealer grabbed his left arm as he dealt, fingers deftly pressing against his wrist. Levi rotated his arm to face another direction as fast as he could, but it was too late. The patron already had a strong grip on him, and wore a smirk dripping with drunken lust.

"I know you, boy. Don't think I didn't recognize you," the man slurred. As soon as the grip tightened, Levi pulled his wrist down to break out of the hold, sliding out from behind the table so quickly and smoothly that it took the men at his table a moment to notice he was no longer in front of them. Levi quickly appeared behind the drunk, grabbing the patron's arm and pushing it against his back.

"Fuck. Off." Levi spat into his ear, twisting his arm slightly for good measure. There were guards there to take the man away almost immediately. Levi picked up right where he left off; he lifted a card and laid it face up on the table.

He continued the game; none of the players daring to mess with him after that brief encounter. Levi was used to these encounters, and though the the frequency with which partons approached him and demanded they knew him was more than coincidental, he chalked it up to one drunken mistake that had turned into a running gag for these men.

Levi looked up from his work as he shuffled, allowing the men to converse a moment as he reset the game. Just at that moment, the door to the lounge opened and a large, muscular form entered. He walked with authority, commanding the attention of the room in a way the likes of Levi felt he knew, but could not recall. A trick of the light caused a soft, golden aura to surround him.

Levi gasped, his eyes widening slightly. "Erwin?"


	5. Seven-Card Stud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seven-card stud: Also known as Seven-Toed Pete or Down-The-River, seven-card stud is a variant of stud poker. Until the recent increase in popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was the most widely played poker variant in home games across the United States, and in casinos in the eastern part of the country.

“Erwin.”

“Erwin I’ve been standing here for three minutes. What’s up with you?”

“Erwin!”

The man in question immediately straightened in his seat, craning his head upwards until his gaze met that of his colleague. Erwin’s wide, startled eyes crinkled at the corners as his expression melted into an easy smile.

“Ah, Mike! I’m so sorry about that. I was…” he looked over to the door of the VIP lounge, and for a moment he could still see Levi before him. The image quickly faded from his mind’s eye, and he continued, “...uh, distracted.”

“Eloquent,” Mike responded, sitting across from Erwin at the small booth. “I was about to text you and ask when you wanted to meet, but I saw you here and figured it’d be easier.”

Confusion flashed across Erwin’s face. A time to meet?

“Here,” Mike set a stack of papers on the table, “Last night you told me to write everything down, so I did,” Erwin leaned closer, his eyes scanning the pile closely. While the papers were clipped together, it was a rather haphazard attempt at organization. A large ring of dried coffee adorned the top of the stack, and he was sure there was more rings beneath.

However, this did not deter Erwin at all. This work had all been done late, and as a favor to a friend, and the businessman was grateful that Mike had followed through.

“Thank you. I don’t know where I’d be without you.” Erwin grabbed the papers, quickly skimming through their contents when he noticed one sheet with markedly different handwriting. Mike’s script was large and angular but not neat, a type of chicken scratch, as his father used to say. This was much smaller, and was written in cursive with gentle curves and fluidity. There was a detailed sketch of a man in the corner, along with a row of smaller men drawn along the bottom margin of the page.

Mike noticed the slight pause in Erwin’s skimming and ran a hand through the back of his hair. “Ah, I had some help with that part. I saw this guy in passing once, but Nanaba was there for the interview, and you know when you tell a former art major you were working on some descriptions…” he added a slight chuckle, trailing off there.

Erwin remembered Nanaba from their first days at the company, commenting superficially while his mind drifted elsewhere, “I didn’t know Nanaba planned to major in art.”

Though his words were focused on small talk, his mind was focused on Levi. The small man had a rough demeanor, and exuded an aura unlike any other. However, he just knew that he’d felt the warmth beneath his shell; Erwin knew he’d breached that wall before.

Mike, who had ignored Erwin’s distant gaze and cloudy eyes, had been responding to Erwin’s comment on Nanaba’s art major. He suddenly froze when a man yelling profanities was forcibly removed from the VIP lounge by what appeared to be two bouncers.

“Bouncers,” thought Erwin, “Guarding one room inside an already secure casino?”

Something didn’t sit right. He looked down to the papers on the table, and his eye was drawn to Nanaba’s sketches. Down at the bottom, the second sketch from the right, was a pencil drawing of the man that was currently dusting himself off and receding down the hall, vulgar phrases dripping from his tongue.

Erwin picked up the paper, looking above the man to read the small note Nanaba had written.

“Probable associates/bugs tied to crime ring,” it read, with various arrows indicating connections with the other men along the bottom, and the large leader on top.

_Levi._

Levi was in that room. Erwin stood without another thought, dropping the paper on the table as he strode towards the door. Mike, who had also recognized the man from Nanaba’s sketch, stood and put his hand on Erwin’s shoulder, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

“Good call, Erwin. I’ll follow the angry one. If he was there, other men connected to this could be too,” Mike spoke lowly as he slipped the neglected sketches into his friend’s pocket, “You’ll want these too, no?”

God, his mind was so focused on Levi that he didn’t even consider tracking down other affiliates. As Mike retreated down the hall, maintaining a comfortable distance to avoid detection, Erwin slipped into the restroom.

“Think about your job,” Erwin said to himself, splashing cold water onto his face and into his hair, slicking back a strand that had fallen out of its proper place. He’d worked with underground dealings for years, and was sure that his presence among these men would not be questioned. He just needed to focus on this mystery. Not on Levi.

_“Oh, Levi,” he felt something soft brush against his fingertips, and a pressure on his chest, “My Levi.”_

He heard his own voice in his mind, distant, distorted in a way only memories are. Erwin closed his eyes, let out a deep breath, and opened the door.

\-----

Levi swallowed thickly as Erwin entered the room, surrounded with the angelic light of an ancient God. When he felt a heat flush through his body, he quickly looked down, staring at the cards as he shuffled.

He began another game, his eyes trained on Erwin’s body as he located an empty table and sat down, natural as can be. Men around him smiled and greeted the tall blond, and one even gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and offered him a cigar, which he politely declined with the flick of his wrist.

Blue eyes met his, and Levi was lost.

One of the patrons, the one he was staring right past to see, coughed twice and tapped the table with a closed fist. Levi noticed and shook his head to regain some semblance of thought, dealing down another card before setting the deck down in front of him, reaching below the counter for the bottle of water he kept there. He took a quick drink and replaced the cap, sliding the bottle all the way to the back.

Distracted movements. A deep sigh. A glance his direction, Erwin’s direction, then more distracted movements. 

This cycle continued for the rest of the game, and the patrons at his table seemed beyond irked at this behavior. He was their eye candy, their little toy, and any time that his eyes weren’t trained on the cards or on them was time wasted.

In less than a half hour two of his regulars were stripped clean, and a tall, lanky newcomer was raking in quite a bit of cash. Levi didn’t recognize him, but after a quick glance at his ring, Levi identified a rather large crime ring’s insignia, and a large cushion-cut ruby, indicating his rank as two below that of the leader.

When he smirked, Levi could see a gold crowned tooth sticking out. A chip was slid over to him, and the man licked his chapped lips.

Levi thanked him politely, slipping the chip into the pocket of his vest. He stole another glance at Erwin, and a blush crept up his neck as their eyes locked almost immediately.

That feeling kept crawling up his chest, but it had shifted from the gentle caress of warmth to a full-blown nausea.

His vision danced before him, and shapes began to shift in-and-out of focus quickly.

No.

No no no no no.

This is the same feeling he had last night, albeit not to full fruition yet.

Levi took a deep and unsettling breath, attempting to carry on as normal when he picked up the deck to shuffle, as his table had quickly filled up once more. However, he didn’t quite have control of his hands, and when he tried to tighten his limp grip, the cards scattered around him and the table.

Here, his vision slowed, and Levi would have sworn that the King of Spades winked at him as it twirled to the ground. He could tell that people were talking to him, their mouths chewing on words, but he couldn’t hear any of it; only the pulsing in his head.

One of the managers saw him falter, and quickly walked up to his table, saying something and gently pushing him away, though all Levi could see was a mouth moving and garbled noises that didn’t match the movement of the mouth.

He quickly approached the nearest wall, placing one hand on it as he collapsed onto the floor, his legs giving up beneath him. Then another man approached wearing that same red ring. This time, however, the wearer was short and fat, and practically spat as he whispered something into the croupier’s ear. Levi could only drop his jaw open and gag before he lost all muscle control, motionless on the floor and crumpled up like a ragdoll.

\-----

“I-I did what you asked.”

“Good,” the man at the desk smiled, though there was nothing there but malice, and slid a small envelope in front of him.

The woman grabbed it, coughing into her elbow before peering inside, counting the bills and coming up short.

“I, uh, I thought you sai—”

“Take her out,” the man ordered calmly, crossing his arms around his chest and turning his chair to squarely face the file in front of him. He picked up an image, running his hand down the length of the small, raven haired man standing next to a tall blond.

“I’ve got him now, Smith. Which means…”

He trailed off, a dark chuckle echoing off the walls as his grip on the image tightened, his hand leaving a large crease in its wake.

“I’ve got _you_.”


	6. Shark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shark: Also known as loan shark, a moneylender who charges extremely high rates of interest, typically under illegal conditions.

_“Erwin, let’s go,” Levi grabbed the sleeve of his lover’s suit, just below his elbow._

_“Yes, let’s,” Erwin responded, placing his hand on the small of Levi’s back to lead him outside._

_“You don’t have to do that,” the smaller man shifted his body to brush the hand away, but quickly returned to his spot beside the blond._

_“I know,” Erwin stopped in his tracks to tuck a small piece of hair behind Levi’s ear, “I want to.”_

_A blush crawled up his neck, and Levi quickly turned his head away._

\-----

_“So, why do you do it? Why would you put yourself here?”_

_Levi was gently running his fingers down the front of Erwin’s chest, his eyes closed as he regained his breath, head leaning in Erwin’s lap._

_“I’ve told you before, Levi.”_

_“Tell me again.”_

_Erwin sighed and smiled gently, his lover’s eyes closing as soon as he began to run his fingers through ebony locks. “I work for a large company, in marketing. We sell everything from household appliances to—”_

_Levi pouted, gently hitting Erwin’s chest, careful not to stop the calming movements of the hand in his hair, “Yeah skip to the good part.”_

_The larger man chuckled, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the top of Levi’s head before continuing. “One day, while waiting for a cheap coffee from the vending machine, I overheard someone from sales talking about an orphanage that had contacted them for medical equipment. She was laughing, and couldn't get over the fact that they could barely afford a third of one, whereas they were trying to order four.” He took a deep breath and released it with a forlorn sigh. “I looked up our manufacturing prices later, out of curiosity. It’d be a much smaller profit margin, but they could get that equipment.”_

_“We’ve given discounts before. As a matter of fact, I did some digging and found out that we were giving away equipment to some large hospitals downtown, in exchange for their recommending use of our in-home products to patients. But Levi,” he looked down at the small head in his lap, those soft lips taking air in and out in an effortlessly graceful way, “they wouldn’t do it because the orphanage mainly had kids whose parents dealt in the underground.”_

_Levi tensed at that, he always did, and Erwin continued the calming ministrations of his hand, moving his other hand to rest lightly on the smaller man’s waist. “Kids don’t ask to be the daughter of a drug dealer or…” he trailed off before stopping his hands and looking directly at his lover, “...or the son of a prostitute.”_

_“Mmmm…” was Levi’s noncommittal response, followed by a hand reaching out to press against Erwin’s lower abdomen, “Let’s go for round two.”_

\-----

Erwin looked over from his game and was shocked to see that the black haired man had left. Levi was just there, where had he gone?

\-----

_There was a large crowd forming at the end of an alley, and while Erwin tended to avoid such things, something told him that this time he should go watch._

_People were clapping and gasping, and Erwin could hear the gentle hiss of spray paint as he approached._

_“Incredible!”_

_Erwin approached cautiously, but as soon as he approached it wasn’t the elaborate tag that caught his eye, but the young man doing it. He was slender but strong, and had created makeshift climbing gear out of old rope to get at the top of the brick building he was currently defiling. His body was pale white and his hair jet black, but his hands were covered in little flecks of paint, a rainbow of stars along the canvas of his skin. He was dirty, his clothes more torn than they were patched, but he was beautiful. When the small man turned around, their eyes locked._

_Erwin forgot how to breathe._

\-----

“Excuse me gentleman, I have some urgent business to attend to,” Erwin clasped the shoulder of a small and stout man, who nodded. This wasn’t uncommon in their line of business, and was to be expected.

Levi. Levi where are you?

\-----

_“Now, oh my god yes!”_

_Their bodies were inseparable, the two finally one. Erwin grabbed each cheek of Levi’s ass and pulled them apart gently as he increased his pace. His cock was throbbing, and the warm, wet heat surrounding him did nothing but spur him on and force him to lose all self-control._

_“More! Right there!” Levi contracted around him from the base on up as he hit the smaller’s prostate, and Erwin could have sworn he growled possessively._

_“This might be the last time I can be with him like this,” Erwin thought, “I’ve got to make this one count.”_

\-----

Erwin followed his instincts blindly, walking past the game Levi had started and towards the closest wall.

Nothing.

\-----

_“So,” Erwin cleared his throat nervously, “what do you do?”_

_Levi clicked his tongue and smirked, looking from side to side in the upscale restaurant before lowering his voice and leaning in towards the other._

_“You know what I do. And you don’t seem to care.”_

\-----

The short woman sat on her hotel bed, head in her hands, the envelope of money beside her.

“H-he threatened me. That’s why I did it. I had to.”

Tears ran down her cheeks, unrelenting. She held the small bottle in her hand, listening to the soft click of pills on plastic.

“I-I had to do it.”

Her hands shook as she held onto the bottle, but the small click got louder as her shaking become more violent, and before long it was too much to bear. She tossed the bottle across the room, watching it bounce off the wall and roll back before her feet.

**Author's Note:**

> References: [Poker Stars](http://www.example.com), [World Series of Poker](http://www.wsop.com/poker-terms/), [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven-card_stud/), and [Office on Women's Health](https://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/date-rape-drugs.html#a)
> 
> Thank you for reading! I had posted this fic before but felt very self-conscious so I took it down. However, I won't let that stop me.
> 
> Your comments, kudos, and suggestions make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!


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